Police catch trucker on his mobile phone while driving on the M1 motorway in Derbyshire

The M1 motorway.

Jon Cooper

Published:09:30Wednesday 30 January 2019

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An HGV lorry driver has been ordered to pay £253 after he was spotted by police using a handheld mobile phone while driving on the M1 motorway in Derbyshire.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on January 24 how Romanian Alexandru Bogdan Ursu, 26, of no fixed abode, was spotted by police on the northbound carriageway of the M1 motorway at Junction 28 in Pinxton using his mobile phone.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “Officers were travelling on the M1 at 11am on January 23 and they began to overtake an HGV and a police officer described looking into the cab of the lorry and seeing the driver with a phone in his left hand with it to his ear.

“He was clearly speaking into the phone and he was observed doing this for ten to 15 seconds. The officer said his position did not change even when he was looking directly at him.”

Mrs Allsop added that the articulated lorry was stopped and Ursu apologised and was taken to a police station.

Ursu pleaded guilty to using a handheld mobile phone while driving on the M1.

He told the court: “I was holding the mobile phone while driving but when I was seen or recorded by the officers I was not aware they were police officers and I thought they were just motorists.”

Magistrates fined Ursu £138 and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs.